Putting Your Database Administrator Courses to Use: How to Work with SQL

In today’s increasingly connected and digital world, data is a crucial asset for businesses across the globe. The sheer amount of data that many computerized programs and applications use to function means that there must also be a way to store this data that’s both easy and accessible, namely through databases. When you start your career as a professional database administrator, one of your primary responsibilities is, of course, to work with databases. In order to do this, you must have a certain level of familiarity with the different programming languages that databases use to function, including one known as Structured Query Language (SQL). SQL is an essential tool that helps administrators find and store information in a particular way on certain databases. If you’re interested in becoming a database administrator, read on to find out what you should know about SQL.

SQL Can Help You Operate and Navigate Certain Relational Databases

There are a variety of different types of Database Management Systems (DBMS) that help you access and change the data that is stored on a particular database. One of the most popular types of DMBS is known as a relational database, which uses separate tables to define database relationships. One column of the table, for instance, may mention the username of someone on Facebook, and another column may specify certain data such as their age, likes, or location. A relational database allows you to view data items separately, such as only by age, likes, or location, instead of storing them all together in one table. Many relational databases rely on SQL to run, and some of the most popular options you can expect to see in database administrator careers include MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server database.

Use Your Database Administrator Courses to Better Understand SQL Syntax

The SQL programming language uses what’s known as syntax to perform commands as well as write queries and inquiries. The SQL syntax uses words such as ‘SELECT’, ‘INSERT’, ‘UPDATE’, and ‘DELETE’ to perform certain operations that help you read, update, and manage the data within a database. These four examples are often referred to as Create, Read, Update, Delete (CRUD), and you can expect to use them fairly frequently when working with SQL during your career in database administration. While these examples are among those most commonly used in the SQL syntax, the more complicated a database is, the more commands you will have to use in order to get the right results. Fortunately, database administrator courses can introduce you to the fundamentals of SQL as a programming language, as well as get you more familiar with how to use it and its syntax to navigate the popular relational databases that future employers are using today.

Familiarity with SQL Can Prepare You to Work with ‘Scaled-Up’ Database Systems

Although SQL still remains one of the most popular DBMS, the technological revolution of the last twenty years means that companies have to manage an extraordinary volume of data, and they need a database that can handle that kind of load without crashing.

NOSQL, short for ‘not only SQL’, is a more recent DBMS, and grew in popularity when tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon needed to find a way to efficiently manage the data they were collecting. Essentially, NOSQL is an ‘upgraded’ version of SQL, and is designed primarily for web applications. Although it does not use SQL to query data, demonstrating that you have a background in SQL can show potential employers that you have the skills they’re looking for to navigate and manage other mature databases such as NOSQL, further expanding your professional opportunities after graduation. Are you interested in starting a new and rewarding career? Contact Canadian Business College for more information about our database administrator advanced program.